There was a strong snowstorm Monday night where a woman, Shannon St. Onge, and others ended up stranded in their vehicles that were stuck in the snow. However, luck – and a stranger – would soon find them all.
In total there were seven individuals all trapped out in the storm, but it wasn’t long before St. Onge took to Facebook, and the group of strangers was all saved by an 80-year-old retired person who strolled through the storm to assist them.
It all started Monday. St. Onge, who lives in Pense, Sask traveled around 25 kilometers east into Regina for work. She watched the weather as she normally does. She knew about the oncoming snowstorm that was developing but had no idea it’d hit so soon, and as hard as it did.
Earlier in the day, without thinking about it she went to the store to fuel up her vehicle, grab an extra phone charger, and picked up some pizza for her children for later. These very things would instead end up helping her to endure the 14-hour whiteout trial.
As the snow began falling she took a back road thinking that it’d be safer since it’s not full of traffic and figured it’d be better for the colder time of the year. However, before too long the storm quickly picked up and she was no longer able to see anything. It was a complete whiteout. She started to realize the sort of situation she was in as she was now lost, and confused not knowing which direction she was facing.
“There was no visibility, and there was no way I was going any further because it would have been far too dangerous.”
Not being able to see a thing she finally pulled over and called 911. The dispatcher suggested she try to wait the storm out given the fact that she had a full tank of gas and could keep the heater on for a while. Not satisfied with the help of the authorities, she started thinking of other ways she could withstand the storm or get saved.
That’s when she nailed her area to Google maps and posted her location on the Pense people group Facebook page. The local group began speculating about where she could be found. That’s when one man who lives in Vancouver knew the area she was in well. He was easily able to sort her area out and pinpoint her location.
So good to see that strong “help your neighbour” spirit is still alive & well in SK
Sask. woman survives 14-hour ordeal in swirling blizzard with help from nearby stranger | CBC News https://t.co/CZk7puQinz
— K. Benzene (@doctorbenzene) February 4, 2022
The 80-year-old retiree attempted to start up his vehicle to go out to her, but his vehicle stalled. He then returned inside to pack a lamp and some essentials. Bundled up he was ready to endure the storm and walk out to the woman, despite his wife worried about his well-being.
“The worst part was the wind. Halfway there, I had to put my mitts in front of my eyes,” he said.
Upon his arrival, he was astonished to find that there were two more vehicles in the same area as St. Onge, they too had people inside. In total there were seven strangers between all three vehicles. He saved all seven of them and led them back to his house offering them a peaceful and safe night of sleep.
“They fed us, laughed with us, bonded with us, and gave us blankets, pillows, and a warm place to rest our eyes for a few hours,” said St. Onge.
The next morning Bouvier woke up extra early to clear his driveway for his newfound friends. Soon enough they were all back on the road thanks to this hero. St. Onge shared a video online soon after the events that happened, and it quickly went viral.
As for Bouvier, he didn’t need or want any credit or attention for his actions. He responded saying: “Everybody would have done the same thing. You don’t think about it, you just do it.”
This story syndicated with permission from My Faith News